Anoushka Shankar - Concert for George (2003)
September 5, 2008
0 CommentsJust watched this on DVD and had to share a clip with you. Rent it when you can.
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Loading ...Labor Day Links
September 1, 2008
0 CommentsI don’t know if you listen to RadioLab, but they recently did an episode on the phenomenon of getting songs stuck in your head. They called it “earworms.” Well, they asked listeners to call in and talk about their earworms and techniques to eradicate them. The interesting thing to note is that the majority of people sang their earworms in the correct key, without a reference pitch. Listen for yourself: Earworms
From one of my favorite mixing books, The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook, I found an excerpt called Magic Frequencies.
Happy Labor Day!
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...The Story Of Japanese Apprentice Matajura
August 26, 2008
0 CommentsMatajura wanted to become a great swordsman, but his father said he could never learn, because he wasn’t quick enough. So Matajura went to the famous dueler Banzo and asked to become his pupil. “How long will it take me to become a master?” he asked. “Suppose I become your servant, to be with you every minute, how long?”
“Ten years,” said Banzo.
“My father is getting old,” pleaded Matajura. “Before ten years have passed I will have to return home to take care of him. Suppose I work twice as hard. How long will it take me?”
“Thirty years,” said Banzo.
“How is that?” asked Matajura. “When I offer to work twice as hard, you say it will take three times as long. Let me make myself clear. I will work unceasingly. No hardship will be too much. How long will it take?”
“Seventy years,” said Banzo “A pupil in such a hurry learns slowly.”
Matajura understood. Without asking for any promises in terms of time, he became Banzo’s servant. Three years passed. Matajura cleaned, cooked, washed, and gardened. He was ordered never to speak of fencing or to touch a sword. He was very sad at this, but he had given his promise to the master and resolved to keep his word.
One day while Matajura was gardening, Banzo came up quietly behind him and gave him a terrible whack with a wooden sword. The next day in the kitchen, the same blow fell again. Thereafter, day in and day out, from every corner and at any moment, Matajura was attacked by Banzo’s wooden sword. He learned to live on the balls of his feet, ready to dodge at any moment. He became a body with no desires, no thought, only external readiness and quickness. Banzo smiled and started lessons. Soon, Matajura was the greatest swordsman in Japan.
From the book, The Last Word On Power, by Tracy Goss.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...On Legacy
August 23, 2008
2 CommentsThis is the true joy in life, the being recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
~George Bernard Shaw
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5) Loading ...Always Be Training Your Ears
July 30, 2008
1 CommentIf you hear some music and don’t know what it is, figure it out immediately. The next time you hear the same chord progression, melodic structure, or rhythm, you’ll probably know what it is. It’s usually as simple as that, and not unlike looking up a word you don’t know in the dictionary.
Always be training your ears. Listen with an instrument or tuning fork nearby. Figure out what you’re hearing. And if you can’t do it in the moment, because you don’t have the right tools or whatever, make a note and remember to figure it out later.
If you can identify the skills you want and take action to acquire them, then you’ll improve.
Or, just let go and listen for fun without trying to deconstruct anything. We often forget to do that.
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